Dispensing apparatus



July 6, 1965 H. B. TILLOTSON DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 1962 INVENTOR. #EMP/ 77414110 BY M flrrmev United States Patent 3,193,433 DISPENSENG API ARATUS Henry B. Tiliotson, 226 Valley View Piece,

Minneapolis 19, Minn. Filed Apr. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 186,951 (Ilairns. (Ci. 156-527) This invention pertains to devices for dispensing and applying labels and tapes having a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating, and more particularly, to such devices wherein a tape is utilized which has a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating on both sides.

' Tape and label dispensing devices are in common use at the present time, a typical use being the price-labelling of goods as described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,796,110. This type of label has the disadvantage that it must be substantially narrower than the tape, since the adhesive coating on only one side of the tape must support the label itself and have sufficient overlap to permit attachment to the goods. Furthermore, the tape must be substantially transparent in order to read the price or other printed material on the label.

I have found it possible to eliminate these disadvantages by using a double-coated pressure-sensitive tape, in combination with a strip of labels, the tape being afiixed to the back side thereof, whereby a narrow tape may be used with substantially wider labels, and the transparency of the tape is of no consequence.

Thus, it is an object of my invention to provide a tape and label dispensing device of simple and inexpensive design, which permits the convenient attachment of double-coated pressure-sensitive tape to the back side of a strip of labels.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of certain postage stamp dispensers, and the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a side perspective view of a dispenser with the side cover plate removed,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the side cover plate for the dispenser illustrated in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a side sectional view of the dispenserillustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the back side of the label strip with the tape afiixed thereto,

FIGURE 5 is a side sectional view of an alternative type of dispenser, and

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of the thumb operated tape advancing mechanism utilized in the dispenser illustrated in FIGURE 5.

In FIGURE 1, dispenser housing It) includes a back wall 11 having a ring 12 securely attached thereto as shown, and is formed with walls 13 which co-operate with cover plate assembly 26) (FIGURE 2) to form a substantially hollow enclosure shaped as shown. However, an opening between edges 14 and 15 provides an exit for the laminated strip of stamps and tape. A plate 16 is provided with a serrated edge, against which the laminated strip may be torn off in the desired lengths.

Stamp holder 22, which has the form of a cylindrical sleeve, is securely attached to cover plate 21, and has a slit 23 along the length thereof to provide an exit for the row of stamps that fits loosely therein. Tape holder 24 is, also, securely attached to cover plate 21, and is provided with a shoulder 25 as shown. Surface 26 thereof has an outside diameter approximately equal to the inside diameter of ring 12, and fits snugly into said ring when the dispenser is assembled to thereby hold cover plate assembly 26 in its proper position. The distance between ring 12 and shoulder 25 is slightly greater than the width of the tape roll used in my dispenser, and surface 26 has 3,.lb3fi33 Fatented July 6, 1965 33 of the roll of tape, and pulled out as a continuous laminated strip 32, the back side of which is illustrated in FIGURE 4. Plate 15 may then be used to tear off as many stamps as needed.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of the invention, which is similar to the dispenser shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, The housing 49 has a back wall 41 shaped as shown. A stamp holder 42 and a tape holder ld, identical, respectively, to items 22 and 24 in FIGURES 2 and 3, are shown with the roll of stamps 43 and tape 45 in position.

The laminated tape exit area is modified, as compared with FIGURES 1 and 3, to provide openings 46-47 which accommodates thumb roller 51, and 48-49 which provides an exit for the laminated strip and accommodates element 6%. These openings are very similar to 1445 shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, being closed on the sides by back wall 41 and the corresponding cover plate (not shown).

Thumb roller 51 is fully rotatable on two small rings similar to ring 12 shown in FIGURE 1, ring 50 being securely attached toback wall 41 in the position shown. A corresponding ring (not shown) is attached to the cover plate, thereby providing two hubs for rotation of thumb roller 51. This roller consists of a body portion 52 having two grooves 54 and 55 therein, and includes an in tegral thumb-wheel 53at one end.

During operation, stamp strip 43 and tape 45 are laminated at thumb roller 51, thumb Wheel 53 being effective to index the laminated strip a predetermined distance with each movement thereof. One side of the tape is in contact with roller 51, causing it to adhere thereto, but fingers 62 and 63 separate this laminated strip from the roller and aid in directing the strip through the opening between plate 66 and edge 4-8.

The various items described herein are preferably made of plastic, but it should be understood that metal or any other suitable material could be used. Furthermore, although the dispenser shown is intended for postage stamps, it should be understood that my invention would work equally well with a host of other types of labels and paper strips.

Thus, the structures described are considered to be the preferred embodiments of my invention, but it should be understood that various changes could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable, hand-operated device for laminating and dispensing a strip of double-coated non-backed pressure sensitive tape and a strip of material having a width at least equal to the width of said tape, comprising:

an elongate housing including a back wall, depending sides securely attached at the perimeter of said wall, and a cover which cooperates with the exposed edge of said sides to form a hollow enclosure, said sides having an exit opening formed therein;

a cylindrical sleeve member attached intermediate said back wall and cover for housing a roll of said material, said member having a second exit opening along the length thereof;

a cylindrical hub having shoulders at each end thereof attached intermediate said back wall and cover, ro-

tatably supporting a roll of said tape between said shoulders,'and positioned such that a line extended between said exit openings intersects at least a portion of said roll of tape; and

a tear-off edge fastened to said housing in close proximity to said first exit opening to permit cutting random lengths of the material-tape laminate;

' 2. A device as claimed in claim ,1, wherein the edge of said first exit opening adjacent the non-laminated side of said material is' shaped to provide a smooth surface against which said laminate is pulled out of said elongate housing, simultaneously reinforcing the adhesion of'said strips.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising roller means mounted adjacent the laminated side of said material with its axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of said roll of tape, said laminate being caused to adhere to said roller means and to be thereby pulled out of said elongate housing responsive to rotation of said roller, and additionally comprising means for removing said laminate from said roller and directing it past said tear-off means. i

4. A portable, hand-operated device for laminating and dispensing a strip of double-coated non-backed pressure sensitive tape and a strip of material having a width at leastequal to the width of said tape, comprising:

-a housing including front and back walls and sides supporting said walls in parallel spaced relation, said sides having an exit opening formed therein;

an internal enclosure member attached intermediate said walls for housing a quantity of said material, said member having a second exit opening in the sides thereof;

a cylindrical hub having shoulders at each end thereof attached intermediate said walls, rotatably support ing a roll of said tape between said shoulders, and positioned such that a line extended between said exit openings inter-sects at least a portion of said roll of tape; and

means fastened to said housing in close proximity to said .first exit opening to permit cutting random lengths of the material-tape laminate.

5. A portable, hand-operated device for laminating and dispensing a strip of double-coated non-backed pressure sensitive tape and a strip of material having a width greater than width of said tape, comprising:

a housing including front and back walls and sides supporting said walls in parallel spaced relation, said sides having an exit opening formed therein wherein the edge of said opening adjacent the non-laminated side of said material is shaped to provide a smooth surface against which said material-tape laminate is pulled out of said housing;

an internal enclosure member attached intermediate said walls for housing a quantity of said material, said member having a-second exit opening in the sides 7 thereof; a

a cylindrical hub having shoulders at each end thereof attached intermediate said walls for rotatably supporting a roll of said tape in a predetermined lateral position with respect to the longitudinal center line of said material, and positioned such that a line extended between said exit openings intersects at least a a portion of said roll of tape; and

. means fastened to said housing in close proximity to said first exit 7 opening to permit cutting random lengths of said laminate. 7

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,307,406 1/43 Howard 15453.5 2,52 ,773 9/50 Biihary "156-554 2,618,333 11/52 Judd 160-400 2,796,110 6/57 Dahlberg 156554 FOREIGN PATENTS 299,849 8/17 Germany.

EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

DOUGLAS J. DRUMMOND, Exam in-er. 

1. A PORTABLE, HAND-OPERATED DEVICE FOR LAMINATING AND DISPENSING A STRIP OF DOUBLE-COATED NON-BACKED PRESSURE SENSITIVE TAPE AND A STRIP OF MATERIAL HAVING A WIDTH AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID TAPE, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATE HOUSING INCLUDING A BACK WALL, DEPENDING SIDES SECURELY ATTACHED AT THE PERIMETER OF SAID WALL, AND A COVER WHICH COOPERATES WITH THE EXPOSED EDGE OF SAID SIDES TO FORM A HOLLOW ENCLOSURE, SAID SIDES HAVING AN EXIT OPENING FORMED THEREIN; A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE MEMBER ATTACHED INTERMEDIATE SAID BACK WALL AND COVER FOR HOUSING A ROLL OF SAID MATERIAL, SAID MEMBER HAVING A SECOND EXIT OPENING ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF; A CYLINDRICAL HUB HAVING SHOULDERS AT EACH END THEREOF ATTACHED INTERMEDIATE SAID BACK WALL AND COVER, ROTATABLY SUPPORTING A ROLL OF SAID TAPE BETWEEN SAID SHOULDERS, AND POSITIONED SUCH THAT A LINE EXTENDED BETWEEN SAID EXIT OPENINGS INTERSECTS AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ROLL OF TAPE; AND A TEAR-OFF EDGE FASTENED TO SAID HOUSING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID FIRST EXIT OPENING TO PERMIT CUTTING RANDOM LENGTHS OF THE MATERIAL-TAPE LAMINATE. 